Here's Why 'Dead Island' Shouldn't Be A Movie

If at first you don't succeed, try again! Unless what you're trying is a really bad idea in the first place. Then maybe you should give up and focus on other some other things. Especially if it's the proposed movie adaptation of the video game zombie franchise, Dead Island.

Dead Island was a mega hit when it first debuted on PlayStation 3, XBOX 360, and PC platforms in 2011, and it wasn't surprising in the least. Hype reached massive levels prior to the game's release with its reveal trailer, depicting a vague but intriguing cinematic/movie-like look into a family vacation gone wrong. The game itself hardly matched the trailer. Though it had a fun level-up system and crafting mechanic to it, the hack-and-slashing of zombies provided its fun for only so long until it got boring. Dead Island's follow-up, Dead Island: Riptide, was even more disappointing; it offered nothing new to an already stale franchise, and it was time for the developers to go back to the drawing board.

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However, before the release of Riptide, talks for a full-length film were in the works, and the studio Lionsgate obtained the rights to distribute it. Of course, those plans eventually fell apart, but apparently Hollywood thinks it's worth giving it another go. Announced last week, Dead Island developer Deep Silver struck a deal with Occupant Entertainment (The Wackness, St. Vincent) to make the game into a movie with hopes of it actually getting made this time.

"Deep Silver has created a highly successful game franchise based on very cinematic, widely viewed and well received trailers, which provide a great template for launching a film franchise with a distinctive and commercial take on the zombie apocalypse," said Occupant Entertainment's Joe Neurauter and Felipe Marino in a press release. Apparently, the movie is set to either be based on the first game - which didn't have too great of a story - or the recently announced third game in the series, Dead Island 2, out in 2015.

Next page: Why a Dead Island movie isn't going to work

Despite the optimism, a Dead Island movie is just bound for failure. The game itself does have its brightpoints: it's an action-role playing game in an open world setting, and it's hard to go wrong with that. But the overall content matter is just simply played out. Does anyone even care about zombies anymore aside from The Walking Dead?

The Walking Dead is arguably the juggernaut of zombie entertainment, and even now the appeal is far more based on its character aspect than the fact that there are zombies present. There's nothing that a Dead Island movie can offer that hasn't been offered before, and if there is, it'll stray so far away from its game counterpart that just tying in the name will sound like an obvious money milker.

Want to see a video game that's built to be a movie? Take a look at The Last of Us. Succeeding as a game and with its story, there's no question that a movie can work, especially with the right people surrounding it. It's a prime example of a post-apocalyptic setting featuring infected monsters that doesn't fall into the same doom and gloom cliches. Now, the trailer for the upcoming Dead Island 2 followed a similarly charming feel that Dead Island had with its trailer, too, so maybe there's somehow a way to incorporate those strengths onto the big screen - but even then it's doubtful.

Even though a Dead Island movie is in the works, that doesn't mean that things are slowing down on the video game front. Aside from the main sequel Dead Island 2, a free-to-play PC-only multiplayer title, Dead Island: Epidemic, is currently in a closed beta, while Escape Dead Island will hit last-gen platforms later this fall. Ultimately, the success of a Dead Island movie will sorely depend on whether it can go against the grain with what other zombie movies offer. If not, people will easily get their undead fix elsewhere.